Tension gauge for deep-well drilling



Au 18, 1925. I 1,549,989

J. A. KAMMERDINER TENSION GAUGE FOR DE EP WELL DRILLING Filed Sept. 18, 1922 I/VVENTOH: Jfi/YES A. KAMMERD/NER} Patented Aug. '18, 1925.

UNITED STATES JAMES A. KAMMERDINER,

OE MONTEBELLO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN GRANT, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. I

TENSION GAUGE FOR DEEP-WELL DRILLING.

Application filed September 18, 1922. Serial No. 588,904.

1 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. KAMMER- DINER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montebello, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Tension Gauge for Deepell Drilling, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for controlling the machinery .in operating and developing deep wells.

One of the objects of this invention is to' avoid an over-straining of mechanism or a part of mechanism disposed in a well.

Another object is toprovide instruments near the operators stand for momentary and permanent indication of the strain to which the tools or mechanism, disposed in a well, are subjected.

Anotherobject is to enable a driller to apply a maximum of-force to the drilling tool in order to complete a well in the shortest time possible, without having to fear a breaking of the tools or any part of the mechanism.

Another object is to enable a contractor to properly control and superintend his drillers at any time or moment of the operation without being compelled to watch the drilling.

Other objects will appear from the following description and appended claims as well as from the accompanying drawing, in whichi 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a the application of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of a so-called rotary draw works, to illustrate F so-ca lled hydraulic rotary rig, to illustrate bring down a well in record time, but have no means of knowing that the mechanism is operated to its capacity and not overstrained.

There are various pressure gauges in common use, and also indicators to diagrammatically show the strain or pressure in suitable relation to a time piece. Indicators most commonly in use carry a sheet on a drum, the drum being rotated by clockworks, and a pen-like instrument marks the momentary or varying line to indicate the pressure or strain or other desired information on the graduated time sheet. There are also various forms of instruments in use for producing the pressure required and desired in the above-named instruments. The main object had in mind is the effectiveness and efficiency of mechanism in a well.

If all available force can be applied to the rotary or rotating drill pipe in a well, it is obvious that the drill pipe may be pressed down into the well and caused to accomplish a boring to its capacity. However, with the present facilities, a driller is not very well informed whether his drill pipe is actually employed to capacity. Not desiring a break,

he, of course, normally keeps well below capacity.

The present invention, disclosed by this application, is intended to help the driller to be at all times fully informed as to the actual strain to which the drill pipe is subjected.

The manufacturer of drill pipes is well able to warrant a safe load for any length of drill pipe, and a driller is thereby well able to keep within a safe margin and at the same time force the drill pipe to its capacity.

The applied force should best be measured and controlled at a point close to the rotating drill pipe, to eliminate mistakes due .to friction in bearings and other parts of the mechanism. 1

The rotating table of the mechanism is normally actuated bybevel gears. In Fig. 3, the table is indicated at 5, the large bevel gear being on the underside-of the rotating table, as indicated in dotted lines at 6. The small driving gear pinion is indicated in dotted lines at 7. A square drill stem is normally disposed through the rotating table, the stem being in connection withthe drill pipe in the well, and the force applied to the drill pipe is'normally transmitted throu h the bevel gears.

A riving gear or pinion placed in such a position is normally subjected to a force in radial relation to the rotating table, that is in this case, in a longitudinal direction to the driving shaft 8. A thrust bearing is necessitated and is therefore normally provided at the point indicated at 9, between the driving pinion 7 and the first supporting bearing indicated at 10.

The radial movement of the bevel gear 7 and the shaft 8, however, is very useful if caused to actuate some form of hydraulic jack in connection with suitable manometer-s and other indicating instruments. Spring actuated instruments, of course, can also be applied and made to operate by the movements of the shaft and gear, but the liquidoperated mechanism appears to be more practical, since transmitting the actions of the shaft directly, instead of through levers and rods quite obviously necessary with spring-operated instruments.

-The liquid-operated mechanism illus trated in Fig. 4 consists mainlyof the cylinder 11, the piston 12, a thrust bearing 13,

and a connecting conduitl4. The whole mechanism is arranged so that the thrust bearing may contact with the end 15' of the shaft that has been chosen to form the actuating member for the device.

Rotar mechanism and machinery for rotary dri ling in connection with developing deep wells is most commonly chaindriven,

of such details, as long as strain 1n the rothou h directshaft driving is also used and possi 1e. In Fig. 3, the shaft 8 is extended to a point behind the draw works. A set of miter gears 16 connects the shaft 8 with the shaft 17. This arrangement leaves the whole floor space around the rotating table free for the Workingmen and operators, in

stead of having the main driving chain above the floor close to the rotating table 'as illustrated in 1. The pressure-producing mechanism is roughly outlined at 18,'at the end of the shaft 18. A transmitting pipe line 19 is illustrated to connect to the instruments, roughly outlined at 20. The main driving sprocket is indicated at 21 on the shaft 17, receiving its power and motion from the transmission shaft 22. In Fig.1, a slightly different; arrangement is illustrated, the power and motion from the main transmission shaft 22 is transmitted through th chain 23' di rectly to the main shaft 8, the sprocket 24 being on the main shaft 8. This arrangement has many disadvantages, but is quite commonly in use. The main chain 23 is above the main floor 25 of the well rig, en-

dangering the operators, and-takes up space to quite an extent close to the rotating table, just at a point where space is veryproximity of the main transmission shaft 22, and close to the main sprocket Wheel 30. Any variations in the transmission of power or motion through the main driving chain can, with the arrangement of Fig. 2, be transmitted to indicating instruments. A connecting pipe line is indicated at 31, connecting with instruments, roughly outlined at 32.

The-variations of the strain in the main transmissio shaft, or even closer to the rotating tab e, as in the first bevel gear 7, indicated by suitable instruments, serve well to inform the driller of the actual strain in the drill pipe when rotated. As stated above, the instruments as well as the pressure producing element or mechanism may be varied to quite an extent without departing fromthe principle of the invention, and I do not limit myself to any specific design wise movement of such driving shaft may be determined.

2. In a device of the'character disclosed, a rotary table, a driving shaft for the-same, a cylinder member, a piston within the cylinder, one end of such shaft being free and adapted to bear against the piston, and a recording mechanism connected .with the cylinder adapted to indicate pressure variation within such cylinder responsive to movement of the shaft to move the piston.

In testimony that I. claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name.

JAMES A. KAMMERDINER. 

